Oklahoma and Texas to Exit Big 12 Conference

Oklahoma and Texas will depart from the college sports conference at the end of the season.

Oklahoma and Texas will depart from the college sports conference at the end of the season.

The Big 12 Conference is a major conference for college athletics, primarily football, representing 10 of the most prominent college football teams in the United States. The conference was originally founded by colleges in Texas and Oklahoma, though for several years now, it’s been rumored that both states are planning on leaving.

This week, the rumors were confirmed: at the end of the 2023-2024 college football season, Texas and Oklahoma will be departing the Big 12. Both states will be paying a cumulative $100 million to end their run with Big 12 and join up with the Southeastern Conference.

“As I have consistently stated, the conference would only agree to an early withdrawal if it was in our best interest for Oklahoma and Texas to depart prior to June 30, 2025,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. “By reaching this agreement, we are now able to accelerate our new beginning as a 12-team league and move forward in earnest with our initiatives and future planning. I appreciate the approaches of OU President Joe Harroz and UT President Jay Hartzell to ensure an amicable conclusion to this process, and look forward to the bright days ahead for the Big 12 Conference.”

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